1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for extracting and purifying the biologically active ingredients from combined medicinal plants, and to their plant extract composition. More particularly, this relates to a process for effective extracting and purifying the biologically effective ingredients from mixed Clematis Radix, Trichosanthes root and Prunella Herba in a certain ratio. These extracts are useful for alleviating the acute/chronic inflammation for inhibiting platelet/whole blood aggregation, immunocytes proliferation (e.g., B-lymphocyte, T-lymphocyte), inflammation-inducing enzymes (5-Lipoxygenase, Cyclooxygenase-I, Cyclooxygenase-II) and scavenging activity of superoxide radicals when compared to each single plant extract. This invention also includes their extract composition, which may be effectively used as an anti-inflammatory agent with analgesic effects, rheumatoid arthritis drug and blood agent for improving peripheral blood circulation.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Clematis Radix, Trichosanthes root and Prunella Herba are well known as medicinal plants. Each medicinal plant has long been used in the form of aqueous plant extract and its powder. Such plants have been widely used for the treatment of general inflammations such as skin rashes or wounds, bronchitis, mastitis, peritonsillitis and anal fistula, and also for the relief of cooled or numbed hands and feet, painful knees, painful waist and shoulder, fragile body and pain in the skin. These symptoms are similar to chronic rheumatoid arthritis in terms of the modern pathological concept.
Clematis Radix is a root of same genus in plant taxonomy, which is distributed in the shady forest throughout Korea. After removing cormophyte and root hair collected in autumn, Clematis Radix is finely chopped and dried in the sun for medicinal use. Clematis Radix, a non-toxic medicinal plant, has long been used for the treatment of the following symptoms such as pains in the extremities, decreased mobility in knee joints and paralysis in the extremities. In particular, clematis has been frequently used as a miraculous drug in those patients who feel uncomfortable while standing due to the coldness in waist, knee and feet. It is well known that clematis Radix including the same genus in plant taxonomy have various constituents, such as flavanone glycosides (e.g., clematin, etc.), saponins (e.g., clemontanoside A, clemontanoside B, clemontanoside C, clematoside S). Moreover, this plant is also found to contain glucoses and sterols 1. Research Archives of Useful Plants Resources in Korea, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, pp780-781(1988), 2. An Explanatory Diagram of Korean Medicinal plants, Youngrim Pub., pp489-490(1990)!.
Trichosanthes root known as "multifarious medicines" or "Karokon" classified as a perennial creeping plant, is collected in autumn. The outer shells of cleanly washed roots are removed and the rest of the roots are cut appropriately and dried in the sun for medicinal use.
Trichosanthes root, a non-toxic medicinal plant, has been widely used for excretion of pus, vanishing the boil, detoxification and antipyretic effects, and also effective for thirst, various swelling, anal fistula and mastitis. It has been investigated up to now that Trichosanthes root contains trichosanthin as proteins, arginine and citrulline as amino acids, and palmitic acid and linoleic acid as fatty acids. Recently, Trichosanthes root is found to contain bryonolic acid, cucurbitacin B and .alpha.-spinasterol as sterols I. Research Archives of Useful Plants Resources in Korea, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, pp 354-357(1988), 2. An Explanatory Diagram of Korean Medicinal Plants, Youngrim Pub., pp960-963(1990)!.
Prunella Herba is a flower of prunella and same genus in plant toxonomy. When the flower of Prunella Herba is half withered during summer, the flower should be collected and dried in the sun for medicinal use. Prunella Herba, a non-toxic medicinal plant, has been used for the treatment of the following symtptoms such as chronic swelling, smallpox, acute mastitis and lymphocytic tuberculosis. Prunella Herba is also effective in destructing lumps (generated in a lower stomach owing to extravascated blood) or others, while treating beriberi and numbness in the extremities. It has been reported that Prunella Herba contains saponins such as oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, etc, and also contains carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, tannin, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. Rosmarinic acid is also found in Prunella Herba I. Research Archives of Useful Plant Resources in Korea, Korea Research institute of Chemical Technology, pp 480-482(1988) 2. Chemical Research for Prunella Herba, Lee Jak-pyung et al., Bulletin of Medical College in Beijing, 17(4), pp297-299(1985)!.
The conventional herbal books (e.g., Dong-Eui-Bo-gam, Hyangyak Gibsung-bang and Kwangjee Beakub) or related literatures refer to the medical efficacy of herbs and processes of manufacture of aqueous herbal solution. But they only described a single prescription of each of these medicinal plants but not a formulation available for the manufacture of aqueous herbal solution from the combined preparation of medicinal plants. Furthermore, these medicinal plants were prepared by hot water extraction method. But any substances extracted by above method, showed no acquisition of detailed knowledge on biologically active ingredients.